Device for curling support wires



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Nov. 13, 1962 c. w. HAWKEY DEVICE FOR CURLING SUPPORT W-IRES Filed Jan. 20, 1959 Nov. 13, 1962 c. w. HAWKEY 3,0 3, 3

DEVICE FOR CURLING SUPPORT WIRES Filed Jan. 20, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l I INVENTOR. I l (MEL 5 41/. Min 5X Nov. 13, 1962 c. w. HAWKEY 3 DEVICE FOR CURLING SUPPORT WIRES Filed Jan. 20, 1959 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

W W WM M WK Nov. 13, 1962 c. w. HAWKEY 3,063,473

DEVICE FOR CURLING SUPPORT WIRES Filed Jan. 20, 1.959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 6.

FIG. 7.

IN V EN TOR.

(1 /145155 14 kWh KEY BY i I Q I United rates The present invention relates to filament-mounting machines and, more particularly, to an improved device for curling the support wires of an incandescent-lamp stem about the lead wires in a manner to fix such lead Wires a predetermined distance apart.

Heretofore, after a filament was mounted on a stern for an incandescent lamp, it was known to curl the ends of the support wires around the lead Wires by a device of the type shown in US. Patent No. 1,907,532, issued May 9, 1933, to J. Flaws, Jr. and in US. Patent No. 2,085,578, issued February 18, 1936, to the same patentee. This conventional device comprises curling dies, each having a groove extending along a sloping face of the die and along a semi-circular terminal-notch portion of the sloping face. The portion of the groove along the sloping face is moved into engagement with the prepositioned end of the lead wire and such end is forced along the sloping face into the semi-circular notch portion where the end of the lead wire is formed into a circular eyelet around the lead wire.

if, for example, the support Wire is too stifi or the groove in the notch portion of the curling die is not smooth, the support wire is often buckled back and deformed. In addition, such conventional curling device forms a loose loop around the lead wires and is not adapted for tightly wrapping the support wires therearound to space the lead-wires a predetermined fixed distance apart. Due to the abrasive action of the sharp edge on the end of the support wires against the grooves in the sloping faces and in the notches in the curling dies, such dies having relatively short life. In order to prolong the life of such curling dies they are hardened to such an extent that the curling dies become brittle and break easily. Further to assure satisfactory operation such curling dies are made with close tolerances, are provided with highly polished contact surfaces and hence are very expensive. Yet another disadvantage is the fact that the angle at which the end of the support wire is presented to the curling die is critical and the slightest deviation of such end from this critical angle results in a poorly formed loop.

It is accordingly the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of and objections to the prior-art curling devices by the provision of an improved device for curling the support wires of a lamp stem about the lead wires thereof, which device positions such lead wires a predetermined fixed distance from each other and wraps the support wires tightly about such lead wires to insure the retention of the fixed spacing between such lead wires.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved curling device which utilizes a sloping contact surface to push the support Wire rather than forcing the support wire along a groove during the course of the loop-forming operation thus reducing the abrasive wear on the improved device, prolonging the life, and

reducing the cost of maintenance of the latter.

Still another object of the present invention is the pro- .vision of an improved curling device which does not engage atent vision of an improved curling device which does not require close tolerances in its fabrication and hence is relatively inexpensive to fabricate.

The aforesaid objects of the present invention and other objects which will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds are achieved by providing an improved curling device having guides movable into juxtaposition with respect to the lead wires, first movable members for positioning the support wires against the lead wires, for positioning the lead wires against the guides to provide the predetermined spacing between the lead wires, and for pushing free ends of the support wires around the positioned lead wires to form one quarter of a loop, second movable members operable to push the bent free ends of the support wires further around the lead Wires to form one half of the loop, and third movable members for further pushing the free ends of the half-formed loops around the lead wires to close the loops. Actuating means move the guides and movable members in the foregoing work sequence.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved curling device of the present invention, taken at the start of the loop-forming operation;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the improved curling device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical-sectional view of the curling device, along the line IIIIII of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a vertical-sectional view of the curlingdevice along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows; 1

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the third movable members;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan view of the curling device of FIG. 1 and showing the guides in position about the lead wires and the first movable members at p the end of their quarter loop-forming operation;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing the second movable members after the formation of the half loop around the lead wires, the guides having been eliminated for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 8 is a view-similar to FIG. 3 and showing the third movable members after the closing of the loops about the lead Wires.

Although the principles of the present invention are broadly applicable to the looping of support wires of any lamp stern about the lead Wires to fix such lead wires a predetermined distance apart, the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with 'an incandescent-lamp stein having a vertically mounted filament and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.

With specific reference to the form of the present in.-- vention illustrated in the drawings, .and referring particularly to FIG. 1, the improved curling device of the present invention (disposed at a support-wire curling station of a filament-mounting machine of the type shown in the above-mentioned patents) is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10.

Since the filament-mounting machine per se forms no part of the present invention, it is deemed sufficient to say that such machine is provided with a plurality of heads 12 (FlG. 4), each adapted to support a stem 14. The heads 12 are indexed through a plurality of work stations, including the above-mentioned curling station, by a conventional mechanism (not shown).

The stem 14 (shown in FIG. 1) comprises lead wires 16 and 18 between which a filament 29 has been mountwires.

ace-3,473

. 3 ed (at a previous workstation of the filament-mounting machine) the filament being disposed vertically along the longitudinal axis of the stem 14. Support wires 22 and 24 extend from an arbor 26 of the stem 14 in the general direction of-thelcad'wires I6 and 1S- respectively,-as shown in FIG. 1. V 7

At the support-wire curling station of the filamentmounting machine-a pair of guides 28 and similar pair of guides 30 (FIGS. 2 and 4) are mounted on a slide 32 which reciprocates horizontally on a casting 33 of the curling device. In order to permit the movement of the guides 28 and 30 a distance d FIG. 6, from the position shown in FIG. 1 (and dotted-line position shown in FIG. 6) to the solid-line position shown in FIG. 6 (Where the lead-wires 16 and 13 are positioned in notches 34 provided in the guides 28 and 3%)), a roller 36 on the slide 32 is biased by spring means 37 (FIGS. 3 and 4) into engagement with a plate cam 40 adjustably mounted on a center post 42 which is vertically reciprocable in the casting 33. For the purpose of vertically reciprocating the center post 42, such postis connected by a lever 44 (FIG. 1) pivoted at 46 to a cam (not shown) on a main cam shaft (not shown) of the filament-mounting machine. 7

Thus, shortly after the head 12 indexes into the support-wire curling station, the aforesaid cam causes up ward movement of the center post 42 and the plate cam 40, thereby moving the guides 28 and 3t} inwardly from the position shown in FIG. 1' to the position shown in FIG. 6 and approximately positioning the notches 34 with respect to the lead Wires 16 and 18. Simultaneously therewith, the upward movement of the center post 42 causes a second plate cam 52, FIGS. 1 and 4, (also adjustably mounted thereon) to move a roller 54 and a second spring-biased slide 56 (on which such roller 54 is mounted) inwardly, as viewed in FIG. 1, toward the lead'wires 16 and 18. This inward movement of the second slide 56 (indicatedin FIG. 6 by d causes an outer forward face 57 on each of a pair of first movable members 58 (FIG. 5) and 60 to engage the support wires 22 and 24 respectively and to position the lead wires 16 and 18 in the other of the notches 34 in the guides 23 and 30 thereby providing such lead wires with the pre determined spacing 12' (FIG. 6) therebetween. Simultaneously with the positioning of the lead wires the outer forward'faces 57 of such first'movable members 58 and 60 utilize the positioned lead wires 16 and 18 respectively (supported in guides 28 and 30') as mandrels to push the free ends of the support wires 22 and 24 around the lead wires 16 and '18 respectively (from the position shown in FIG. 1 andthe dotted-line position shown in FIG. 6, to the solid-line position shown in FIG. 6) thereby forming about one quarter of a loop around the lead As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 clearance slots 62 in the first movable members 58 and 60 permit the outer forward faces 57 to slide along the lead wires 18 and 20 which are thus received in such clearance slots.

Further upward movement of the center post 42 then causes a pair of opposed plate cams dd and 66 FIGS.

1, 2 and 3 (also adjustably mounted on such center rod 42) to engage respective rollers 68 on a third pair of horizontally disposed slides 70 and thereby cause inward movement of a second pair of movable members 72 and 74 mounted on the slides 70 and 72 respectively, as viewed-in FIG. 1, toward the formed support wires 22 and 24. These second movable members 72 and 74 push the formed free ends of the support wires 22 and 24 respectively around the lead wires 16 and 18 (from the position shown in FIG. 6 to the position shown in FIG. 7) to form about one half of a tight loop in each support wire around the lead wires.

f Shortly thereafter the continued upward movement of the center post 42 causes a roller 76 (FIG. 4) on another slide 78 .(slidable on the now stationary first slide 32) and a thirdpair of movable members 81) and 82 (carried by the other slide 78) to engage the free ends of the bent support wires thereby closing the previously half-formed loops tightly about the lead Wires 16 and 18, from the position shown in FIG. 7 to that shown in FIG. 8, and securing such lead Wires the predetermined distance d apart. When the third movable members 86 and 82 are in the position shown in FIG. 4 operating ends thereof are positioned in the clearance slots 62 in the first operating members 58 and 60. It will be noted from a consideration of FIGS. 1-4 that the operating ends of the movable members 58, 60, 72, 74, '80 and 82 are tapered at their corners to facilitate the bending operations, reduce abrasive wear, and to provide rapid and low cost maintenance thereof.

Thereafter operation of the cam (not shown) causes downward movement of the center'post 42' accompanied by retraction in reverse order of the above-described elements of the improved curling device of the present invention from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 1, preparatory for the indexing of the head 12 from the curling station shown in FIG. 1 to the next work station (not shown).

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by the provision of an improved curling device which pushes the support wires around the lead wires rather than forcing the ends of such support wires around grooves in curling dies during the course of the loop-forming operation thus reducing the brasive wear on the improved device, prolonging the life, and reducing the cost of maintaining the latter. The improved curling device positions such lead wires a predetermined fixed distance from each other and wraps the support wires tightly about the lead wires to insure retention of such fixed spacing therebetween. Since the improved curiing device does not engage the end of the support wire the disposition of such support wires with respect to the lead wires is not critical. In addition, the improved curling device will not deform the support wires during the loop forming operation, does not require close tolerances in its fabrication and therefore is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

While in accordance with the Patent Statutes one best known embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for positioning and securing a pair of lead-in wires in predetermined spaced relationship with respect to a supported lamp stem by forming the extremity portions of a pair of stern-held support wires into a tight complete loop about a portion of each of said lead-in wires, said apparatus comprising:

a. a pair of guide means movable into juxtaposition with respect to said lead-in wires, and the positioning of said guide means defining the desired positioning of said lead-in wires with respect to said lamp stem;

b. a first pair of support wire bending means. movable toward said lead-in wires and said guide means to position and hold said lead-in wires against said guide means and also to bend portions of said support wires proximate to the extremities thereof through about one-quarter turn around said lead-in wires;

. a second pair of support wire bending means movable in a direction generally transverse to the direction of movement of said first pair of support wire bending means and toward said lead-in wires as held against said guide means by said first pair of support wire bending means, and said second pair of support wire bending means operable to contact the bent portions of said support wires to bend said su pport wires about said lead-in Wires through an additional amount of about one-half turn, in addition to holding such further bent portions of said support wires against said lead-in wires;

d. a third pair of support wire bending means movable 3 The apparatus as specified in claim 2, wherein said able in a direction generally opposite to the direcfirst pair of support Wire bending means, said second pair tion of movement of said first pair of support wire of support Wire bending means, and said third pair of bending means and toward said lead-in wires as resupport wire bending means are each tapered at their tained against said guide means by said first pair of 5 ends to minimize Wear during contact with said support support Wire bending means, and said third pair of Wires. support wire bending means operable to contact and force the extremity portions of said support Wires References Cited in the me of this P it; a complete tight loop about said lead-in wires; 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS e. actuating means for moving in the foregoing work 1,474,882 Baumgarten 1923 sequence as specified, said pair of guide means, said 1,821,894 Otakif Sept 1, 1931 first pair of support Wire bending means, said sec- 2,311,662 Hlmzlker 231 1953 and pair of support wire bending means, and said 2,781,796 D11t$ 1957 third pair of support wire bending means. 15 2311988 Hamllton 5, 1957 2. The apparatus as specified in claim 1, wherein said 2,321,233 Wahl Jan 23, 1953 first pair of support Wire bending means, said second pair 2,854,939 Kennedy 71 1958 of support wire bending means, and said third pair of support wire bending means each contact said support FOREIGN PATENTS wires with a pushing action against side portions thereof. 20 571,909 Canada Nov. 18, 1953 

